Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES ErcE.,

PATENT LAURENT RUEL, OF ST. JOHN SBURY, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JULLIEN DEMERS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,034, dated October 28,1873; application led August 27, 1873.

and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, of my irnproved coupling applied to the platform of a railway car or carriage. Fig. 4 is avertical and transverse section of the draw-bar and ..coupling, such section being taken through the coupling-pin.

In such drawings, A denotes the car-platform, and B a draw-bar applied thereto. En-

'compassin g the draw-bar is a yoke, C, formed as represented, and having the connection-pin D projecting down from its upper bar a, and into the draw-bar. The said yoke slides vertically within a head, b, projecting upward from the draw-bar, and containing a helical spring, E, for depressing the yoke, such spring Aresting upon the bar a of the yoke. Furthermore, there projects down from the yoke a spring-catch, F, and there is applied to the side ofthe draw-bar a shoulder, G, for the catch to rest on and support the yoke in its higher position. Above the shoulder there is a slide-rod, H, which is arranged, as shown, to slide horizontally in the dra\ rliar, such rod being provided with a spring, I, for advancing it.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the drawbar, such section being taken through the slide-bar H and its spring I, the bar being represented as provided with an inclined plane or cam, K, which, when the bar is forced inward, acts against the spring-catch, and forces it off Vto the approach of another car to be coupled,

there is fastened to the lower bar of the yoke a chain or line, c, which is led upward over a guide-pulley, d, in the draw-bar, and thence to, and is fixed to, the barrel e of a windlass,

L, provided at one end with an arm, M, and arranged with, and applied to, the platform in manner as represented.

On taking hold of the arm and raising it, the windlass may be revolved, so as to wind up the line or chain, and cause it to draw the yoke upward lnitil the spring-catch may rise above and rest on the shoulder, in which case the coupling-pin will have been drawn upward out of the link or the link-chambery ofthe drawbar.

The car carrying the coupling-link being brought up will cause such link to enter the draw-bar, and, in turn, will press back the slide H, so as to cause the cam K to force the springcatch oft' the shoulder, so as to relieve the yoke, in which case the yoke-spring will depress the yoke, and cause the coupling-pin to pass through the link, and effect the coupling.

I claim as my invention The yoke C, spring E, couplingpin D, catch F, shoulder G, slide-rod H, cam K, spring I, chain or line c, and the windlass L, combined with the platform A and the drawbar B, substantially as, and to operate as, speci-v fied.

LAURENT RUEL. Witnesses:

It. H. EDDY, J. R. Snow. 

